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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

In searching for yet another way to prepare salmon I found a recipe for Fillet of Sole with Cantaloupe in the Italian Family Dining cookbook. I had the salmon so I adapted it.

Entree: Salmon with Cantaloupe. The salmon was rubbed with oil and then sprinkled with lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped fresh tarragon and fresh ground pepper. The cantaloupe chunks were placed around the salmon and placed under the broiler until the salmon was cooked to a medium rare.

I will try this with the sole in the future...I think the flavor of the cantaloupe would be more dominant with the sole than it was with the salmon. However I will try the salmon and cantaloupe on the outdoor grill if Spring ever gets to Ohio.

Side: Broccoli. The broccoli was splashed with chicken broth and cooked in the microwave.

Wine: Hook and Ladder Pinot Noir. We eagerly opened a bottle from our new shipment of wine from Hook and Ladder.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

It does not seem like winter is going to end here in Ohio. Temperatures down in the 30s and 20s again, and that means more soup. I have made more soup in three months than I have in the last five years. This recipe is adapted from the West PointMarket Cookbook and the Italian Family Cookbook.

The Soup: Minestrone. I sauteed carrots, shallots, celery and prosciutto, then added chicken broth, potatoes, canned tomatoes,zucchini, and white beans. I added fresh ground pepper and cooked over a medium to low until the potatoes were tender. About 5minutes before serving I added asparagus, followed by frozen peas. Immediately prior to serving I stirred in some arugula. After putting the soup in the bowl, I topped with previously prepared pesto.

We both agreed it was a very delicious minestrone. Served with crusty bread and Chianti it made for a great meal!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Wasn't it not long ago that iceberg lettuce was so "last year." I am still partial to arugula, baby spinach, boston etc but the iceberg provides a nice crunch for this salad.

But first we had a glass of wine. Typically we do not drink wine with a salad. I agree with those who say wine and vinegar dishes just don't mix. But we had this bottle that we brought back from Italy. It was a gift from the vineyard where we took a tour. We were told it was one of the oldest wineries in the Brunello region. and this Rose is the owners favorite. We do not typically like rose but wanted to taste it...so we had a glass before dinner.

The wine: 2007 Biondi-Santi Rosata di Toscana. There remains half of the bottle in the frig.

Now to the salad. Many restaurants serve some version of this, so it is an adaptation of several...

Salad Entree: Wedge with Blue Cheese and Prosciutto. The dressing is olive oil, pinot grigio vinegar (Lucini), some blue cheese (Maytag) blended in a small blender. I crisp the prosciutto. The wedge is cut and layered with the crumbled blue cheese, prosciutto, thinly sliced onion, dressing, halved cherry tomatoes and seasoned with fresh ground pepper.